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4 of our wards have received national recognition for giving gold standard for palliative and end-of-life care.

The wards are in the Trust’s community hospitals at Bodmin, Camborne and Redruth, Liskeard, and St Austell.

Kim O’Keeffe, Chief Nursing Officer, said: “I am pleased to see Anchor Ward, Oak Ward, Harold White Ward and the Community Assessment Treatment Unit at Camborne and Redruth receive this recognition.

“Giving Gold Standard end-of-life care is one of the most important things we can do for our patients and their families. It ensures people have a good death and that their wishes and those of their family are respected.”

Each hospital ward has secured a national Gold Standard Framework Quality Hallmark for the way the staff care for people at the end of life.

Staff from each of the 4 wards went to the awards ceremony in Manchester at the end of last month. The awards are a celebration of the UK’s best health and care providers for care in the final year of life.

Julie Armstrong-Wilson is the chief operating officer for the Gold Standard Framework. She said: “The care and compassionate culture that has been observed is truly inspiring. This shows a commitment to ensuring people receive the right care at the right time and the positive impact this has on the people cared for and their families.

“Listening to what matters most to each and every individual and delivering care in accordance with their goals, wishes and preferences is what everyone should receive.”

Julie added: “The Gold Standard Framework team are so very proud of all our award winners. With our ageing population it is so important we enable them to live well and when the time comes deliver quality care in their final year and days of life. Well done to you all!”

The Gold Standard Framework provides end-of-life care training and accreditation for frontline staff in health and social care, to enable a ‘gold standard’ of care for people nearing end-of-life.

The Trust’s single-ward hospitals at Launceston, Helston and Stratton have already achieved the platinum status Gold Standard Framework for maintaining the standards for 3 years.

Read 4 wards nationally recognised for Gold Standard end-of-life care…

Our Specialist Perinatal Service celebrated 10 years of operating with an event in Newquay recently.

Service users, past and present, attended with their families and exchanged inspirational stories. Thanks to the help of the service, mums across Cornwall have received support specific to their needs.

The service team also invited attendees to contribute to a booklet. The ‘Book of Hope’ which will contain stories of hope and recovery and inspiring artwork.

“We are really excited to celebrate 10 years of the service. It is quite momentous. We felt it was important to celebrate in conjunction with people who have used our service. Rather than do a more formal event, we wanted it to be a celebration with the people who have been on that journey with us over the past 10 years.” Ruth Marsden, Perinatal Service Lead

The perinatal service has helped many people, including Zoe.

“I came into the service with 4 mental health conditions. They were depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and dissociative identity disorder.

“I already had a lot going on, so they took me on to the mental health service. Ruth assessed me at first and then referred me to Jo, the team psychologist. They were amazing. They stayed with me until before Milo’s second birthday.

“I got given everything. Anything they could give me it was never too much. I ended up having eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy. This was over one of the most difficult times during the first lockdown when no-one knew what they were doing.;

“I could not leave my house. I could not enter a supermarket. I could not do anything because my mental health was so crippling. They really supported me to be able to do everything. To become the mum I wanted to be. That is what I liked. It was always what they could do to help me become the mum I wanted to be.

“I ended up in a wheelchair and they helped me through it all. They helped me process it all. They stuck with me for so long because so much happened during my pregnancy.

“I wanted to come down today to show my support. I also really wanted to contribute to the ‘Book of Hope’ that they are doing. I had so many different things going on. They helped me get to a point where I am now exactly the mum I want to be. I am a foster carer as well. I have managed to do exactly what I wanted to do.”

If you are an expectant or new mum suffering with mental health difficulties, please seek help.

Read Perinatal Service users attend event to mark 10 years…

Cornwall's health and care partnership is using World Mental Health Day to promote suicide prevention. As well as highlighting the local support available, the key message is we all have a role to play.

Rebecca Fox, Suicide Prevention Lead, at Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust explains why:

“People make assumptions when they hear the word ‘suicide.’ We might think it affects more men than women, or young rather than old people. However, the reality is that anyone may be at risk of suicide.”

Researchers into suicide have identified 3 common factors in those who take their own life:

1. People who have experienced trauma and have normalised frightening or dangerous situations. It could include people who are considered ‘thrill seekers’ and can also include professionals who come into frequent contact with illness or death
2. People feeling that they do not have a role to play or value to add. It might impact those who are in pain, retired, or unemployed or anyone who feels that they are not contributing to their family or local community
3. People who experience lack of meaningful relationships or connections with other people.

Rebecca and her team train professionals within the Trust and work with organisations like the police and local charities to promote suicide prevention. She says,

“When someone ends their life, on average 135 people are impacted including immediate family, friends, and those in the person’s wider circle. And anyone touched by that death might feel regret, guilt, or responsible in some way. This includes professionals who were supporting that person.

“However, we can turn this sense of responsibility about suicide around. The Trust offers support for people through our 24/7 Crisis Line. We also offer excellent support for families impacted by suicide.

“But we can all make it our responsibility to ‘connect’ with others. We can all check-in with friends or have a conversation with someone at the supermarket or bus stop. We can encourage someone to join a group or reach out over social media. We can’t always know our impact on others, but these small interactions could be the connection that stops someone from ending their life.”

Cornwall Council’s Public Health and Healthy Cornwall teams are working in partnership to provide the Orange Button Scheme, training a network of people who can signpost information to those thinking of ending their life. The Orange Button is worn by people who have undergone mental health first aid or suicide prevention training.

Cornwall Council’s Suicide Prevention Lead, Paula Chappell, comments:

“We now have 1,767 people registered to the scheme. Whilst the Orange Button wearers do not offer counselling, they can help people find relevant services. The high volumes of interest in training shows that we have people in the county who want to be part of a supportive, connected community. And if there are more people aware of these issues, we can break down the stigma stopping people from asking for help.”

Rebecca agrees: “We need to break down perceived barriers. No one is immune to mental health issues. No one is immune to suicide. It is only when we talk about our feelings that we can do something about them.”

Mental health help and support

• Call our Mental Health Crisis Line on 0800 038 5300.
• Call the Samaritan’s on 116 123

Read Health services unite to raise awareness of suicide prevention…

Layland Short Break Home in Liskeard opened its doors for the first time in 1994 to provide care for children and young people with learning disabilities and high healthcare needs. Almost 30 years later it continues to be a vital and much-loved part of the community.

The building (a bungalow situated close to Liskeard town centre) was bought by the Trust. It was specially adapted to accommodate those with complex needs. The short break service is available to children and young people aged between 3 and 18.

With no other facilities of its kind in the area, the Trust felt that Layland offered the ideal location for families and their children.

Nearly 3 decades later and Layland, with an OFSTED rating of ‘good’, has established itself as one of the best short break homes in the county. It includes 4 bedrooms, a shower room, a bathroom, a sensory room, a large outdoor play area (with a swing specially adapted for wheelchairs), a kitchen, office, laundry room, lounge area and a clinical room.

Sharon Fisher, Team Manager, says working there is more than just a job for her and her team.

She says: “We are all passionate about what we do. It is a lovely home, and it is home from home for the young people. We know them well and provide an individual and children centred approach.

“We have a really good staff team. Everyone has different strengths and interests, and these are encouraged. This feels like our home from home as well.

“I have been here 17 years and when the young people are coming into the home smiling, it means a lot.”

Danielle Fisher, Healthcare Assistant, is another long-serving member of the team. She has been at Layland for 23 years.

She says: “Seeing the children happy and relaxed here makes it all worthwhile. Some have been here 5 or 6 years. The number of nights a child receives a month is individual to the family's needs from the social worker’s assessment.

“We make sure everything is ready for when the children and young people come in. Like their room is ready, with all their favourite things, and stocked up with different bits and pieces. We make sure we have their medication charts, and any medication changes up to date.

“The young people have lots of choices. They may decide to go in the sensory room, do crafts, go in the garden, go for a walk or an outing. Then it is usually following their routine with medication, feeds, bathing, or showers.”

For children and young people who come to Layland for the first time the transition is carefully managed.

Sharon, who is also a qualified nurse, explains: “We have a robust system in place. We have one nurse and one support worker from the team who is allocated to that child, so they are the ones who coordinate everything.”

The length of time that young people stay at Layland differs, from 1 or 2 weekday nights to weekend breaks. For the duration of their stay a nurse is usually on shift to work alongside the Layland team, while there are also regular visits from support workers.

Claire Buzza, Team Coordinator, also brings a wealth of experience to the team. She has been at Layland for 2.5 years, but previously worked for over 20 years at a care home for children with autism and complex needs and challenging behaviour.

The Trust has 3 home care services in Cornwall. As well as Layland, Gwyn Dowr and Roston also offer short breaks or respite to families. Both are based in Camborne.

Claire explains: “I think years ago they did not have what they have now. Back in 1994 these short break homes were unheard of. For Layland to open there was a need for a service like this in this area of Cornwall.”

Layland has changed a lot since it first opened in 1994. Much of its transformation has been driven by making the building more accessible for equipment such as wheelchairs.

Sharon reveals: “Every inch has changed. From the sensory area with relaxing lights, projector, bubble tube, to the outside space. It was just grass on a slope, so it was not accessible for children in wheelchairs. We had a project to have all the equipment put in so that we could use the outside space. It is amazing.”

Read Short break home enriches lives of children with learning disabilities…

The Trust is delighted to announce that 2 of its members from the Practice Education Team have been shortlisted for national awards.

Becky McSorley, Lead Practice Educator, and Kerry Siau, Practice Educator, will attend the Nursing Times Workforce Summit and Awards in London on 21 November.

Becky has been shortlisted for Manager of the Year (non-clinical). Kerry has been shortlisted in the Practice Educator of the Year category.

Kerry’s role as practice educator means she supports mental health and learning disability students. This includes arranging the placements for students to attend. She also offers pastoral support while they are on placements.

It is a highly demanding role, which covers a wide area of students. The Practice Education Team has 4 groups of students that they work with. They include nursing students and apprentices from Exeter University, Plymouth University, the Open University, University of West of England, and Truro and Penwith College.

Becky manages the team, which currently has 79 students on placements across Devon and Cornwall. She also manages the staff supporting work experience, early careers, and induction training programmes.

“It is fantastic for us both to be nominated for the awards. It is also good for Cornwall and the Trust. We have difficulty recruiting people down here. Some people want to stay in Cornwall and some people want to come to Cornwall. This is why our apprenticeship opportunities are so important. It also allows them to earn a wage while learning and gaining a qualification. They allow our current staff to undertake development pathways without having to leave Cornwall. They also offer real career opportunities to attract new staff into the organisation.

“If you live in somewhere like Bristol you have 4 or 5 Trusts around. It is much more difficult down here. It is good that we are getting the message across about Cornwall. How good we are, how advanced we are and how professional we are. That will hopefully make people think that Cornwall is a good place to come and work.” Becky McSorley

The awards recognise the excellent work of the Practice Education Team and the progress which has been made.

“The way that we have built up our apprenticeships is great to see. We have just started some new external apprentices. They are starting their registered nurse degree apprenticeships and nursing associate apprenticeships.

“In total we have 63 across adult mental health. That is another new load of people coming in, who will hopefully qualify and be our nurses and nursing associates of the future. A lot of hard work goes into that recruitment.

“It is very rewarding, especially when you see some of our apprentices graduating. We have supported them throughout their journey. Some of them we have already recruited, so it is fantastic.” Becky McSorley

The Practice Education Team continue to support students even after they have graduated.

Becky explains: “We support them when they are newly qualified. We see them once a month, into the autumn period and again later in the year.”

There has been more good news for Kerry. She has earned a place on the chief nursing officers research fellowship. This begins at the end of September.

“I will be released alternate Thursday for the academic year to look at a project that I want to develop. The thing that I am looking at is CLIP (collaborative learning impact in practice). This involves putting more students into a clinical environment and them learning their skills using a coaching model.

“They have that peer support, so they are on shift together. Lots of the adult wards do it already. We are looking at bringing it in to mental health.

“We want to look at how the students find it, the staff, and possibly the patients as well. Does having more students on a shift impact patient care? Does it reduce the use of medication? These are the things we want to look at.” Kerry Siau, Practice Educator

Becky and Kerry have played a big part in the Practice Education Team’s success. But Becky insists the whole team deserve credit.

“Without the team of staff that I have I would not be able to do my job. I really appreciate the work of all my team. They are absolute stars, every single one of them. I try and make sure they know how appreciated they are.

“It is important to recognise that it is a very stressful environment working in healthcare. Although we are based in head office we are still dealing with patients. We are working with the individuals who support patients with their difficulties. They have their own difficulties and frustrations through their development journey.

“The benefit of having such a supportive team is that we support each other. If I have a challenging day then I know they will support me. And in return that is what I do with them to make sure they have that time and support. Without doing that they cannot be the best that they can be at work.”

Read Trust members shortlisted for national awards…

Our Adult Mental Health Team have taken part in training to learn more about neurodivergence. The training, led by Autistic Community of Cornwall, aims to improve the experience of neurodivergent people who need mental health support.

“We need better understanding of neurodivergence. We want to create spaces in which autistic people feel comfortable. There are stereotypes around autism, even amongst health professionals.

“Autistic Community of Cornwall is helping us challenge these. This will help our staff to provide high quality care for people with autism.” Beth Ford, Associate Director of Community Mental Health Services

The Autistic Community of Cornwall is a community interest company. It was created by autistic people for autistic people and began in April 2023. They have received numerous requests for support.

“We set the company up out of frustration. There was no support available for the autistic community in Cornwall.

“For years, I have worked with the autistic community to promote acceptance and understanding of autism.

“Through the Community we provide all types of training. We also offer mentoring for those who would like to talk directly to another autistic person.” Tigger Pritchard, Co-director of Autistic Community

“People debate giving autistic people a medical label. But diagnosis is a key step for gaining support.

“I am known as the Community’s activist! I support parents who want better education for their children. I also help people obtain a quicker diagnosis.” Marie Ralph, Co-director of Autistic Community

The Trust is the first organisation in the area to invest in widespread autism training.

“We have had a positive response to training. This is just the start. A group of mental health professionals will have training to identify autism using specialist tools.

“They will then be able to support each other. They will help other colleagues to identify autism and neurodiversity. This could help people access our services more easily.

“It is important the NHS supports every member of our community. We want to learn from them.

“We will continue to work with the Autistic Community of Cornwall and change how we work. We hope other organisations seek their help. In this way, we can develop a more accepting society.” Beth Ford

Read Mental health team work with Autistic Community to improve services…

We are delighted to announce that the Trust’s Ageing Well Team have been shortlisted at this year’s Nursing Times Awards.

With life expectancy increasing, so has the number of older people with complex health and care needs. These patients are cared for in nearly all health and social care settings.

A growing older population is driving greater demand for health and care services. But there are also opportunities to improve health in later life. There is also a chance to develop more appropriate services that may reduce demand for more expensive care.

The Trust’s Ageing Well Education and Coaching Programme aims to meet the ever-changing demands in community healthcare. This includes training staff to give them the knowledge and confidence to assess patients, who may be frail or have more complex conditions.

As an accelerator site for the national Ageing Well Programme the investment has allowed them to provide additional, enhanced skills to the community. They are also keen to enhance the existing workforce and their clinical knowledge.

The work of the programme has now been recognised nationally after it was shortlisted in the Care of Older People category. The awards take place in London in October.

“The programme is trying to meet the changing needs in community healthcare. It has changed hugely over the last 20 years. Patients are more complex. If you are over 65 you are more likely to have 3 long-term conditions than 1.

“Most of the clinical workforce have not had the opportunity to develop their knowledge to meet the changing complexity of the patients they are responding to. The intention of the programme is to increase the confidence and skills of existing clinicians to meet the needs of patients in health crisis. Or with multiple long-term conditions, alongside varying health professionals.

“We did not want it to be just for registered nurses. We wanted it to be across the board for all our clinical workers. The joy of the Ageing Well Programme is that we have a collaborative learning environment with both registered and unregistered nurses. This is alongside occupational therapists, dieticians, and podiatrists. It is also not just for the general workforce. We have also had students who work in mental health. It is a lovely model of multi-disciplinary working and mutual learning.

“We are valuing education and investing in the ability to release our staff for training. This award nomination recognises the hard work which has gone into the design and delivery of the programme. It also commends our team of clinical facilitators and programme manager. It also recognises the investment of all the students who have taken part in this training.

“As far as we are aware nobody else in the country is doing something this robust. What we are also trying to do is take the pressure off the teams by not having everybody out of their clinical area for too long. There are 5 face to face taught days. The real learning takes place in the students’ work environment with individual coaching from the clinical facilitators.

“Some of the other candidates that are in the shortlist are really impressive. It will be good to talk to them and learn from each other. It will be a really good network opportunity.” Marie Prior, Clinical Lead for Frailty and Ageing Well

The team is made up of 3 clinical facilitators, which consists of a physiotherapist, with experience in rehabilitation and reablement, a nurse with a background in long-term conditions, and a mental health practitioner.

Marie adds: “This coaching model which reflects our multi-disciplinary approach is supported by Sue Blake. She is our programme manager and has invested time and commitment in enabling us to set up the programme and in enabling me to design it.

“We were really fortunate to be an accelerator site for the national Ageing Well Programme. This gave us investment to put in additional, enhanced skills to the community. But what we were really eager to do was also enhance the existing workforce and their clinical knowledge.

“The Ageing Well Programme with educational coaching is to support our existing workforce and give them greater confidence. It will also give them better knowledge to manage the increasing complexity of people we are looking after.”

The Care of Older People award seeks to highlight the excellent care being provided by nursing staff for older patients. It also aims to shine a light on innovation in an area that is far too often ignored.

“I think one of the major priorities in the health and social care sector now is integration. The integrated place-based approach is really important, but we are also focusing on a skills-led approach. That is really about equipping staff with those skills to enable them to work with versatility and flexibility.

“The journey began before COVID when we started doing quite a detailed skills analysis to look at where the gaps were in clinicians’ knowledge and skills. And also, in terms of their confidence because obviously that is key, particularly when you have staff working in community settings where they are often working in a solitary environment. Confidence is really important to being able to use the skills and knowledge they have.

“We were really grateful to Lucy Clement, Associate Director of Community and Nursing, for encouraging us to apply. One of our main aims in applying was to be able to increase awareness of this other programme which is highly transferable.

“It can be quite easily picked up by a range of organisations, including health and social care, voluntary and community sectors. Its potential is huge, and we wanted to have the opportunity to share that on a national programme.” Sue Blake, Programme Support Manager

Read Ageing Well Team are Nursing Times Awards finalists…

It is not every day that orchestral music can be heard playing down the corridors of Bodmin Hospital. But that is exactly what happened when the Endelienta Ensemble performed in front of patients and staff recently.

The orchestra are all young musicians, who tour the country, usually playing at festivals and concerts. But they swapped the fields and grand theatre halls for the wards of Bodmin Hospital for a performance with a difference.

The 6 members of the orchestra spent the day visiting the Community Assessment and Treatment Unit (CATU), Garner Ward and Anchor Ward. They chatted with patients and talked about the instruments they play. The group then performed several musical pieces, including ‘I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You’ and ‘Moon River,’ which patients and staff sang along to.

It was an emotional, yet joyous experience for the patients, who as well as singing, were given instruments to play along with, including maracas and tambourines.

The CATU unit was the first stop on the orchestra’s mini tour around Bodmin Hospital. The CATU is for older patients with varying frailty syndromes, including falls, dementia, or poor mobility.

“The patients’ faces lit up. I love the way the orchestra mingled with patients. They were straight in there, introducing themselves, showing the instruments.

“The orchestra brought a lovely bag of wooden instruments as well, so the patients were able to shake the maracas and tap the tambourine. They were really able to participate.

“The music they chose just resonated with them because it was of their era. A bit of ‘Moon River’ and a little bit of The Beatles. It was just fabulous.

“We had a lovely time during lockdown when we had the internet equivalent, which was really good. To have them here, face-to-face and live with their sense of humour and generosity of spirit was really good.” Julie MacKinnon, Ward Manager, Harbour Ward at CATU.

The young musicians then made the short walk along the corridors to Anchor Ward for their next performance. Once again, they did not disappoint as patients and staff played and sang along to the music.

Donna Stanyon is Ward Manager at Anchor Ward, which provides inpatient care for elderly patients and patients who require rehabilitation following surgery or illness.

“I thought it was brilliant. Some of the patients were not so sure to begin with. But then when they heard it, they were asking to come and see it.

“Seeing how good they were with the patients, getting them involved was amazing to see. I thoroughly enjoyed it and even the patients who did not go to the dining room could hear it and they enjoyed it. It brightened up a very busy day!”

The final performance took place on Garner Ward in front of a packed room of patients, some of whom were with family members. They all enjoyed a singalong as the Endelienta Ensemble’s visit came to a moving and emotional climax.

Garner Ward is the county’s specialist dementia ward offering assessment and treatment of organic mental health problems with dementia.

“For our patients living with dementia, music is so important because it engages every lobe of the brain. It enhances relationships with the team on the ward and their fellow peers on the ward as well.

“It is magic when everyone gets involved with their instruments and clapping along. Music gives a quality of life and improves their day when they are stuck in hospital. Some of our patients are on the wards for months so it really makes a difference to their day. It improves morale as well. It has been brilliant.” Becky Phillips, Ward Manager, at Garner Ward

Endelienta Ensemble is made up of young musicians, who are currently studying or have recently graduated from the London Conservatoires. Rachel Coe is one of its members, and she was thrilled to perform in front of patients.

“It was incredibly moving for everybody. It is one of the aspects of our job that we feel lucky to be able to do. Watching the reactions of the patients and the staff is very humbling.

“We feel very fortunate that we get to come and, for the sake of playing a few tunes together, cause such an effect. There are different responses and different emotions. The group responds and it is very moving and very powerful. We must look after ourselves because we get a little emotional too! It is an amazing experience.

“A big part of our ethos going into this was that there a lot of people in our society who get accidentally forgotten because they are not in our public spaces any more. These people love music and respond. It is important for their health, their social health, their psychology.

“By them being in this space where they cannot choose to go to a concert it can be so isolating. It is so easy to forget people like this in these circumstances. We really want to find as many people as possible that cannot come to concerts and bring it to them.

“Music is incredibly powerful and for people here it is one of the most beneficial things for them. We like to be able to bridge that gap. One of the important values we have is that you must remember that they are people first.

“When we come into this environment we are not coming in as musicians to perform a piece, we are coming in to meet people and to make relationships. Music has a way of making you have a relationship immediately.”

Read Endelienta Orchestra perform to patients at Bodmin Hospital…

Mental health issues can affect anyone, at any time, regardless of age. Tuesday 19 September marks Youth Mental Health Awareness Day, a day to encourage understanding and discussion of mental health in the young. The NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Talking Therapies Service is using the event to remind young people experiencing mental health issues that there is help available to them.

"We know that young people face many challenges. They go through uncertainty and change. Deciding which education or career path to take can lead to stress and worry. Some young people lack confidence or motivation to try new things or do things they used to do. Others feel anxious about socialising. They compare their life to friends on social media and can feel anxious or low. Talking about these issues can really help get a handle on them." Vanessa Milner, young people's champion

The NHS Talking Therapies' service provides a range of therapies including 1 to 1 counselling, text, video, and group therapies. The team has appointed 2 young people's champions to help drive younger people to the service.

"The theme of this year's campaign is #BeBrave. We know that taking that first step of asking for help, or even admitting that you have a mental health issue takes courage.

"We hope that we can support young people in Cornwall to be brave, to take those first steps and talk to someone who can help. In this way, we might be able to stop their problems escalating or give them tools to deal with future anxieties." Emily Jowett, Champion

The Talking Therapies service is available across the county to anyone aged over 16 who is registered with a GP. For more information, visit our Talking Therapies webpage or call 01208 871 905.

Read Service tells young people to be brave and talk about issues…

A pilot scheme which aims to improve the lives of people living with neurological conditions has been hailed a huge success by staff, patients, and their families.

A collaboration between Cornwall Council’s Echo Day Centre in Liskeard, North and East Integrated Area Leadership Team, and the Trust’s Stroke and Neurological Community Team began a 14-week course in July for 15 patients. It is delivered once a week by Echo support workers and monitored by therapists from the Trust’s Stroke and Neurological Community Rehabilitation Team.

The funding for the pilot has been supported by Dr Andy Sant, Managing Director on behalf of the North and East Integrated Clinical Academic programme.

Patients take part in a range of activities which helps them gain the skills required to live more independently. The pilot scheme has been running for 7 weeks and staff have already witnessed a significant improvement across the group. The progress has also been noticeable when the patients go home to their families.

As well as the physical benefits, the weekly sessions have also given patients a massive mental boost.

Mike has been attending the course and he says his visits to the Echo Centre have given him something to look forward to.

“It means I get out and I meet people. If I sit indoors all day, I will not see anyone. I spent months on my own doing nothing, apart from watching television. This is a lot better. You lose your social skills, but it starts to come back once you start mixing with people. This does give you an incentive to get out.”

The pilot has also helped Robert achieve one of his goals, which is to start driving again.

“After having spinal surgery, I had a health review and now I can carry on driving. My wife has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and she has been really poorly. Because I am her carer, she can get anxious when I am not at home, but I can get around quicker now in the car. We do not see many people during the week, so to come here and make friends is really good. It is not all physical. If you aid the mental side, it helps the physical side.”

Debbie is another patient who says the course has made a significant difference to her everyday life, having achieved her own personal goals thanks to her weekly visits to the Echo Centre.

“It has been great really. I feel like I have come on loads. We have all made friends and it is nice. It will be nice after it has finished to still see each other. What I really like is seeing what we have all achieved since we started coming here. I could not do anything, but it has been really great. We are all reaching our goals, which is brilliant.”

The course has also received excellent feedback from those closest to the patients, their partners. Adrian is another of those who is benefiting from the programme and his wife, Carol, has noticed a significant improvement in his physical and mental wellbeing.

“It has been really good. Adrian is thinking more. He enjoys the games and things like that. It has made him more independent too. He was at a Parkinson’s group in Wadebridge, but that was only once a month for a few hours. He has always been a team player and has always played sports. He is very sociable, but he was at home watching TV. Whereas now he is here and engaging again. It is absolutely brilliant.”

Tony is another patient who has made excellent progress since the course began, and his wife Joy says she has noticed the improvement.

“I have seen the difference. He is enjoying it. The interaction with people, and he is a people person. It is just the variety of things they are doing. It is giving him a bit more motivation. Some people are in the same situation, so it is nice to compare and chat. He gets up in the morning and he enjoys coming.”

Angela Gibbon is a physiotherapist and trainee consultant practitioner in neurological rehabilitation for the Trust. She is also one of the project leads of the Echo partnership.

“We are 7 weeks into the project. It is going really well. All of the participants who are involved have given us some really good feedback. We have seen lots of people achieving their goals already. It has been fantastic.

“For the participants, the main aim for them is to become much more confident in managing their own conditions and in accessing the services that are available for them within their local communities. Such as voluntary sectors, local groups, local organisations they can access and be more socially active and less isolated.”

Lorna Searle is a team leader at the Echo Project and has witnessed what she feels has been a really special bond between the group which will last long after this course ends.

“Everything we ask them to do they are up for. They are all doing their takeaway tasks at home which is really good. The biggest thing for me is they have really bonded as a group. They are really working together and supporting each other.

“It is actually quite emotional to see how some people have grown and what they have done. With quite a lot of people we are having to set new goals because they are reaching them. It is amazing.

“We have a noticeboard with events that they can attend. Last week one of our patients went to a festival. We are going to start looking at what they can do when this ends. We are going to start talking about other groups they can attend as well as things like audiobooks. We are trying to give them ideas to carry on with something. Some of them have built friendships and they will actually see each other when it finishes.”

The pilot will continue to be evaluated and inform future service development.

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